Food vendors in the downtown?

I am working on an ordinance to allow transient food vendors in our downtown area, both non-motorized push carts, stationary trailers, etc. Anyone have any good examples of best practices, thoughts on what not to do, etc.? Do you allow them? Are they restrictied to private/public property, hours of operation, distance from existing bricks/mortar businesses? What about transient merchants of general merchandise/wares - do you allow them or no?

(I did a search on a few different ttings and nothing came up, so I apologize if there is another thread out there somewhere dedicated to this topic).

The City of Appleton, WI has had to face that issue over the past couple of decades in the very active nightlife district in the city's downtown area with several pushcart food vendors that operate during bar rushes. Last year one of those more fancy mobile kitchens started operating on weekdays and during special events in various parts of the city, including the downtown office district. The carts normally operate on the sidewalks within the public right-of-way while the mobile kitchen usually parks in legal spaces along the street (at least downtown). Beside the usual health department concerns, the issue of cart and vendor locations, especially in regards to competition against the area's fixed-location 'brick and mortar' restaurants, had to be resolved.

We allow them in our downtown and other parts of the city. I do not know the history behind or the legislation that has allowed it, though. You can investigate it yourself though - Albuquerque New Mexico.

My anectdotal perception is that it has been a very good thing. Our downtown has and continues to struggle and these types of businesses have a few positive impacts, IMO. They have a low price point for entering the market (and of course evryone has to be certified and inspected by the Dept. of Health and the Fire Marshal), they generate crowds and triangulation, complimenting other businesses like bars, and, here at least, they have quite a following. People even check the food truck vendor pages where they post where they will be parked on a given night.; And people actually come out to see them. Kind of crazy. I was at an event at my oold job on Friday (an art center) and there were three trucks parked out front in support of their open studio night and it was rockin! There is a place in town that actrively promotes food trucks and has a weekly time when they all gather at their business (an international market).

I recognize the potential for conflict with restaurants and I am not sure how to resolve that. I do think that they serve different clientelle and the trucks often help create the kinds of crowds that stimiulate additional economic activity, but I wouldn't want them in front of my restaurant either. Here, they must be on public property - a park or the street. They cannot be on the sidewalk either - even the push carts. They need to be at curbside. Or at least I have never seen one on the sidwealk. I do not believe there are any hours of operation restrictions. The ones near bars stay open as long as the bars do. Beyond that, there is no incentive for them to be there. I have seen a few others at an active space by a laundromat and other businesses that operate late into the night. I was by this area recently after midnight and there were two trucks doing swift business. Hours seem to me to be fairly self-enforcing. There isn't much advantage to operating at a time when you can't do any business.

ST. PETERSBURG — Food truck owners and restaurateurs will sit down together for the first time Monday to discuss how brick-and-mortar establishments can peacefully coexist with meals on wheels.

The issue of what's fair and legal has vexed the City of St. Petersburg since gourmet food trucks gained traction in the Tampa Bay area late last year. Because of decades-old legislation, food trucks are virtually barred from serving pedestrians in downtown St. Petersburg except at special events.

This, food truck owners have said, needs to change.

But restaurants, fearing a loss of customers and what they perceive to be an unfair business model, have fought back.

...... Do you allow them? Are they restrictied to private/public property, hours of operation, distance from existing bricks/mortar businesses? What about transient merchants of general merchandise/wares - do you allow them or no?....

We are making a concerted effort to prohibit this type of land use. It's unfair to the brick and mortar businesses, causes a nuisance to the surrounding neighborhood, and is an eyesore. At least that's the policy direction I've been given.

The PCJ did an article on this a few months ago. I won't direct link but if you Google search PCJ and eating on the go, it should pop up. Its decently written for the big issues- losing parking spaces, concerns for other businesses, taxation, etc. I followed the links at the time and read up on Cincinnati trial ordinance. You may wish to look into that one.

Burlington, VT has more than 20 vendors on its Church Street marketplace, but I don't believe any are trucks. They are meant to be within the traveled walkway and are to be more pedestrian-scaled. They are regulated both publicly and privately, through the City and the Marketplace's organization of businesses.

Personally, I'm a huge fan. Winter is long in New England and I take every opportunity I can to enjoy an outdoor meal.

I've long been torn on the food trailer issue. They often have an unfair advantage over their brick & mortar counterparts, but I've also seen a few of these function well as start-ups that transition into purchasing a brick & mortar restaurant. I've also seen a few restaurants (including high-end restaurants) using them for creative food experiments.

In RJ's case, I'd probably drop the hammer and ban them if that's the kind of thing he is ending up with.

"Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

we allow venders. We have one more or less permanent vender downtown that operates two locations (one into the wee hours of the morning).. I believe we require that they have an agreement with a local business for the required dish washing spaces and restroom facilities, which they share with an adjacent restaurant (I'm almost surprised they agree to this, but it's good they do). The downtown vender has a street cart and sells hotdogs/sausages/the like.

We are re-doing our bus terminal and one of the council members expressed interest in allowing venders outside on the plaza area.

We allow them, but we only have 2 of them operating in the Downtown. It's up to me, as the Director, where they are allowed to operate and how many. The one thing we do is only allow them from 11 PM to 3 AM. This helps with the conflict between them and the brick and mortar shops.

"I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany"

One of my client communities does not want them because of the local business climate. They want other businesses in a store front paying taxes too. I think that the City of Grand Rapids Michigan has been looking at this for a while. There has been a push to permit but regulate them from some groups.

I personally like them.

"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. Time makes more converts than reason." - Thomas Paine Common Sense.